Putrajaya must explain why it awarded contracts to build incinerator plants to a firm with no track record, opposition lawmaker Ong Kian Ming (pic) said today.

The company, XCN Technology, was also accused of using unproven technology at the plants in Langkawi, Pangkor, Cameron Highlands and Tioman.

The Serdang MP said XCN Technology had won the bid to build the incinerators in Langkawi and Pangkor by direct negotiations.

Citing the Auditor General's Report 2012, Ong said, it was then again awarded contracts to build waste disposal plants in Cameron Highlands and Tioman through direct negotiations.

XCN Technology had so little experience that all four plants faced considerable construction and operational delays.

The plant on Pulau Tioman was delayed by more than 1,000 days. It had also allegedly ignored Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) guidelines.

"The Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Ministry must explain why contracts are awarded to a company without any experience through direct negotiations. Why was the company handed more contracts despite delays in the earlier plant?” he asked.

The three incineration plants and one waste-to-energy plant had also used the autogenous combustion technology (ACT) system, which Ong said was “unproven technology”.

He said the incinerator on Pulau Pangkor did not burn autogenously as it could not reach the minimum 850 degrees Celsius required for it to function.

XCN Technology is controlled by Tan Sri Abdul Wahab Nawi, a former chief of navy from 1986 to 1990.

Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan should explain why the ministry failed to oversee the construction of four small-scale incinerators (which handled up to 100 tonnes of rubbish a day).

This, Ong said, gave the public little confidence that the ministry could oversee the construction and running of the proposed 1,000-tonne-a-day incinerator in Taman Beringin in Kepong. – December 23, 2013.